


the rose to my gun

by Anonymous



Series: will you follow me to the ends of the earth? [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Guns, Knives, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Snipers, best friends gyuhao, best friends wonhui
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 15:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21358138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Minghao lies in wait, breath even as he watches through the scope, the butt of his weapon a firm weight against his shoulder. He is invisible like this, he knows, in his all-black attire, and he revels in it.
Relationships: Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Series: will you follow me to the ends of the earth? [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539685
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38
Collections: to love and to lose





	the rose to my gun

**Author's Note:**

> This is about a day-ish late but HAPPY BIRTHDAY MINGHAO 🖤 I really wanted to write something for Minghao’s birthday so here this is. Completely unbeta-ed and not proofread + was written on a plane at altitude so idk what effect that had on my brain. But, I did enjoy writing this so I hope you enjoy reading! 
> 
> This is set in the same universe as both ‘Peaches and Vanilla’ and ‘Wear Me Around Your Neck’ and happens, chronologically, before WMAYN.

* * *

Minghao lies in wait, breath even as he watches through the scope, the butt of his weapon a firm weight against his shoulder. Static crackles in his ear as the darkness of the abandoned office he’s holed up in descends around him, shrouding him. He is invisible like this, he knows, in his all-black attire, and he revels in it. This, this ability to see without being seen is a thrill he enjoys, sparks of it tingle against his skin. He smiles into the mask hiding the lower half of his face, refocusing his attention to the people in the courtyard below. 

There are seven of them he notes, all of them dressed in simple t-shirt and jeans getups, save one. The one who seems to be standing the furthest away from the front entrance of the courtyard, he notes. Definitely someone in charge, if not from the clothes he is wearing (silk shirt, pressed pants, gold chains, the whole shebang) then from the way he seems to have to no problem using the others as human shields between himself and whatever - whoever - they seem to be waiting for. 

Minghao knows what they’re waiting for - they’d received intel a week ago about a deal that was supposed to go down between two of the biggest cartels. A completely unprecedented move for the cartels considering the huge distrust and rivalry between them. That is the reason why he is here, has been here - hidden away in an abandoned building 500 yards from the courtyard and a perfect view of it despite the distance - for the last 12 hours. Something bigger is about to go down, and they had been tasked with using it as a distraction in order to bring in some of the bigger cartel members. The idea was to try and bring some members in from both groups, but they know that just grabbing even one alive would be a feat that will probably go down in their team's history. 

Right now, though, it still seems like nothing’s going to happen. The seven men wander nervously around the courtyard, occasionally speaking to each other or into their earpieces. Speaking of earpieces, he hears the telltale crackle in his and smiles when a voice comes over the line. 

“You have three in the buildings surrounding the courtyard, Hao,” the voice says. “Two in the one facing NorthWest and one in the one facing NorthEast. Can you make them out from where you are?”

Minghao readjusts his weapon, edging it upwards to look at the buildings overlooking the courtyard. He spots one guy on the roof of the building. Unsubtle, he thinks with disdain, noting the peak of his weapon’s barrel just over the edge of the roof. The comment applies to the way the man is dressed too, maroon beanie just visible past the weapon. 

“Jesus,” Minghao hisses. “Are these guys asking to be shot?” 

“Play nice, Hao,” the voice warns although Minghao can hear the smile in his voice. “Not everyone can be like you.” 

“No one can be like me, you mean,” he answers, lips curving into a smirk as he angles his weapon downwards in search of the second sniper.

“A little humility never hurt anyone, Xu Minghao,” the voice snorts. 

“But I am humble, Wen Junhui,” Minghao replies with a small laugh. 

“Sure you are, babe,” Junhui replies and Minghao can almost hear his eyes rolling. “Third floor, second window from the right, by the way.”

Minghao swivels his weapon to the location and finally spots the second sniper, this time better concealed than the first. The only thing giving him away is the glint of the street lights off his scope. _This one first,_ Minghao makes a mental note to himself. 

“Thanks, Jun. Got him,” he says into the earpiece.

“You got the third guy? Or does the great Xu Minghao need help again?” Jun taunts him in his ear. 

“Shut up,” he retorts. “I got this one.”

“I know you do,” comes the reply and there’s nothing there but fondness this time. He presses his lips together to keep himself from smiling but his heart betrays him always as it pulses warm and happy in his chest. 

He swings his weapon around to the other building and spots the third shooter almost immediately. Tucked away in one of the windows on the fourth floor, the wooden shutters would have done a good job of obscuring him had it not been for the slight movement that had pulled the barrel of his rifle into view for the barest of seconds. That was enough for Minghao though, and in his head, he is already planning the order in which he needs to take them out so as to not alert the others on the ground. 

“I’m taking the one on the third floor first, then the roof.” He says into the earpiece. He doesn’t need to but he likes to sound out his decisions against Junhui, likes to hear an affirmative, before he gets it done. Just in case, he always tells himself. He wonders if it’s so that it can’t all fall on him if things mess up, not that it ever has, not since that one time two years ago that they know not to talk about. 

It had driven him into a frenzy, working himself to the bone to perfect his shooting, his fighting, his mind, anything that would keep him from making a mistake that big again. Of course, it had been Junhui who had pulled him out from the pit he had so willingly dug himself into. Junhui who had planted him back onto solid ground, held Minghao there until he was rooted firmly in place by himself before even thinking about letting go. Junhui, who had been everything he had needed and more during a time when he, himself, didn’t know he was in need. 

“Sounds good, Hao.” Junhui speaks the affirmative into his ear and he smiles in satisfaction. He redirects his weapon back to the third floor at the same time he hears Junhui say into the comms, “Mingyu, are you in position?”

There’s another crackle as Mingyu enters the comms channel. “Give me another five minutes,” he says, panting slightly. “Assholes have the entire courtyard on lockdown, I’ve had to scale two buildings just to get here. I have one more fence…”

He trails off and Minghao can pick up his grunts and what must be the sound of rubber on metal as he, Minghao presumes, hauls himself over the fence. 

“Okay, I’m good. I’m in.” Mingyu relays through the comms. “I see them, all 7. They’re still waiting.” 

“Okay, good,” Jun answers, all business now that everything is on standby, any trace of the mischief that was in his tone completely gone. “Stay where you are, Gyu. We have 3 snipers overhead. Hao’s going to take care of them so you don’t have bullets raining down on you from above.”

“Yeah… That would probably be a good idea,” Mingyu laughs quietly. “Let me know once you’ve got ‘em, Hao.”

“Yup,” is all Minghao replies, popping the P excessively before everything goes silent once again. He narrows his crosshairs down on the target, mentally calculating for bullet drop and windspeed, before taking the shot. The guy drops without a sound, the heavy-duty silencer around Minghao’s barrel doing its work. 

“Got one,” he says. 

“Good job, Hao,” Mingyu says over the comms channel and Minghao freezes at the tension in his voice. But before he can ask, Mingyu continues. “You might want to hurry it up though, the second group is here.”

“Fuck, already?” Minghao swears. “Okay, give me one second.” 

Swiftly, Minghao sets his sights on the guy on the roof, red beanie a perfect target, and then he’s one more man down. 

“C’mon Hao,” Mingyu growls into the comms. “They’re making a trade. I can’t see enough from where I am, but whatever is about to happen is gonna happen soon.”

Minghao ignores him, turns his rifle to the building adjacent and aims for where he’d seen the gun before. This one is the hardest, the shutters along the window not giving him enough space to work with but he assumes he gets it done when there is no reaction from the person behind the window. 

“Okay, all three shooters down. You’re clear, Gyu,” he announces. 

“Hold up,” Mingyu says, confusion colouring his voice. “Nothing is happening. If there was supposed to be a double-cross, it should have happened. We need it to happen. What the hell is going on?”

Sure enough, when Minghao readjusts his sights so he can see the courtyard, he sees, well nothing. There’s been an exchange of briefcases and bags but there’s been nothing else. No charging in of armed men, no ambushes, nothing. 

“What the fuck,” he mutters, more to himself than to the other two. He watches as the three men who had entered the courtyard turn around to leave, right as rain, not a single weapon trained on them. Then it hits him. 

“Okay, Gyu. We have to improvise. We’re not gonna get the diversion we wanted but we still need our guy. The minute those 3 leave the block we need to make a move, before this group calls their guns in.”

“What?!” Mingyu exclaims, incredulous. “There’s seven of them and one of me!”

“They’re not armed, Mingyu. I took out their guns. You got this. I’ll cover you from here, promise.”

“Jesus Christ, Hao,” Mingyu groans. 

“We have an objective, Gyu.”

“I know! But you know I…,” he trails off.

“I know, Gyu. I know. This is our only shot and you know it.”

On the other end of the line, he hears Mingyu groan but says nothing else. 

Sighing, he says, “We do this, and I’ll talk to the Chief about giving you a sabbatical. Alright?”

“You promise?” Mingyu only sounds tired now, and Minghao can’t help but feel bad for him. Missions like this always affect them differently and, as good at this as Mingyu is, Minghao knows that it takes more out of him than most. 

“I promise.”

A sigh. “I’m holding you to that. Now, give me a go.”

A crackle and then Jun’s voice. “You’re a go, Mingyu. Minghao, cover him.”

The next 5 minutes is a blur, all he sees is Mingyu dashing out from where he’d been hidden in one of the arches leading away from the courtyard and then he is on them. Silk Shirt tries to make a run for it but Minghao, assuming he’s the main target, clips him in the knee just enough to incapacitate him. When he returns his attention to Mingyu, the other 6 are on the ground, the blades that hang from his hands gleam a horrific red in the light. 

He winces when he finally notices the look on Mingyu’s face, his scope zooming in close enough for him to make out the ashen pallor and blown out pupils, eyes almost completely glazed over. 

“You did good, Gyu.” He whispers gently into the comms. “We got him. Now, let’s go home.”

Mingyu doesn’t say anything but Minghao sees him nod slowly before turning back towards Silk Shirt and grabbing him on his way out of the courtyard. 

When they rendezvous at the designated extraction point - Minghao with his rifle, Mingyu with an unconscious cartel leader, Jun with the van - Minghao immediately dashes to Mingyu, hands reaching for his face, which looks even paler than it had been back in the courtyard. 

“Mingyu!” He says sharply, resisting the urge to literally slap him out of it. “Gyu, please say something.”

Mingyu only shakes his head, dropping his unconscious charge unceremoniously on the ground before walking right into Minghao and dropping his head on his shoulder. Minghao immediately pulls him closer, hands rubbing circles in the small of his back as he feels him start to tremble. 

The sound of a van door sliding open makes him turn around, and he sees Jun walking towards them, concern etched into his face. Minghao shakes his head, as minutely as possible so as not to rouse Mingyu, mouths a quick _call Wonwoo,_ and then he is turning back to Mingyu. 

Slowly, he guides the still-dazed giant of a man back into the van, grabbing a bottle of water and pressing it into his hands before he heads back to put their unconscious cartel leader in the confinement cell at the back of the van. 

Just as he closes the door, he turns around to find Junhui standing there, phone in hand as he watches Minghao. When he realises Minghao is done locking up, he walks over, the concern from before now directed at him. 

“I called Wonwoo,” is the first thing he says. “He says he knows what to do. We just need to just get him home.”

Minghao can only nod, mutely, as the weight of the entire operation lowers itself onto him. He’s usually good at hiding it when it does but he knows that Jun sees it regardless and that it’s the reason why Jun is now reaching for him. Hands moving to cup his face gently, brushing stray strands of hair out of his face as he looks him dead in the eye. 

“Are _you_ okay?” He asks and Minghao nods, slowly, reassuringly, before moving to wrap his arms lightly around Jun’s waist. 

“Yeah,” he whispers, burying himself in the curve of Junhui's neck and allowing the familiar scent to wash over him. “I’m always okay. Because I have you.”

Missions always affect them differently, but it affects them nonetheless so while Minghao might tune out sometimes or dig himself into pits too deep for him to climb out of, he knows he will always be okay in the end because Jun will be there to pull him out.

\---FIN---

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading all the way til the end 🖤 If you haven’t already read Wear Me Around Your Neck, it’s what happens to Mingyu after this particular job. If you have any other questions about this universe or my fics in general, you can find me on twt/cc.
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/moonfleur_) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/moonfleur_)


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